Bud Powell Research Paper

In order to better understand and appreciate Powell’s music, especially his “Tempus Fugue-It” composition, we need to take a look at his background and learn about inspirations behind his creativity. Bud Powell was born in 1924 into a family of musicians; his father was a stride pianist, his older brother played trumpet, and his younger brother played piano as well. Following in his family’s footsteps, Powell began instruction for classical piano as early as the age of five. Even though his father wished for him to learn the ways of Chopin and Bach, Powell leaned more towards the bluesy tunes of jazz. Around the time that Powell hit his adolescent years, he began to appear at a club, Minton’s Playhouse, where he met the jazz musician Theolonious
Monk who would become a lifelong mentor and friend (DeVeaux & Giddins, 2011, p.222). As a teenage boy, Powell joined his older brother’s band and later ended up leaving high school to join the swing band of Cootie Williams. While Powell traveled with Cootie Williams’ band, he flourished and seemed to “fit in beautifully” (DeVeaux & Giddins, 2011, p.222). On one stop of the band’s tour in Philadelphia, Powell got separated from the other band members one night (Wikipedia, Bud Powell: Later Life and Career) and was “unjustly apprehended by the police and brutally beaten.” This horrible incident left Powell with paralyzing migraines and his mental issues were even further complicated by epilepsy and schizophrenia, both of which he suffered from until his death fro tuberculosis (DeVeaux & Giddins, 2011, p.222). Powell was hospitalized for two and a half months at Bellevue Hospital in New York City after being released from police custody (Wikipedia, Bud Powell). This incident and the health consequences that followed did not stop Powell from pursuing his career, which he jumped right back into after he was released from the hospital. He was in high demand by arrangers of local clubs and bands and soon gained a reputation from his unearthly skills and ability to effortlessly play faster tempos. However, even though Powell was very talented, his success can also be attributed to one of his biggest mentors and idols, Art Tatum, who is regarded as the absolute greatest jazz pianist of all time.
According to Davis (2017), “Powell took the sheer speed of Art Tatum and added quirks and flourishes.” While Powell continued to suffer from the consequences of that ill-fated night in Philadelphia, he also continued to soar to the top of the jazz world, often using his mental health issues as an inspiration for his compositions. His originality and uncanny fast tempo playing earned him “The Charlie Parker of Piano” nickname, since the two were both viewed as virtuosos of the era. Powell is known for many intriguing compositions that are very original and faithful to his style, but “Tempus Fugue-It,” an interestingly titled composition, is one of his most-known pieces. Powell’s “Tempus Fugue-It” carries a very interesting double meaning behind its title, and the composition resembles the classical music influences in his life; however, “Tempus Fugue-It” has a distinguished tone, dark theme, upbeat tempo, and polyphonic texture, which, despite some differences, is similar to Powell’s other composition “Un Poco
Loco”.
“Tempus Fugue-It,” which translates into “time flies,” is derived from Latin proverb “tempus fugit,” but Powell’s composition was also inspired by the fugues of Bach, as well as Powell’s own unstable state of mind.
As mentioned, Powell was originally trained to play classical piano, specifically Baroque era polyphony. Polyphonic texture in “Tempus Fugue-It” are easily noticeable by Powell’s interchangeable flourishes and Max Roach’s consistent rhythm on the drums. It is no surprise that his childhood training would overflow into his later works in life; many of his pieces have been said to reflect past eras of the classical music genre. “Fugue” also has a psychiatric definition, a state or period of loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy” (dictionary.com), which I theorize is also a possible meaning behind the strange spelling of this particular composition.
Despite “Tempus Fugue-It” inclusions of classical music elements, this composition is distinguished by its modern tone. As quoted in Jazz: Essential Listenings, “Powell’s translation of bebop soloing to piano” brought in the the evolutionary sounds of the time (Deveaux & Giddins, 2011, p. 224). Powell was known for bringing a bit of everything into his music. Old, new, and totally unheard
of.
Powell’s theme in “Tempus Fugue-It” is opposite its upbeat tempo. Described as “darkly colored” and “tempestuous”, the background content of the composition does not at all mirror the seemingly happy flourishes and harmonic variety (Deveaux & Giddins, 2011, p. 224). Up and down between the chords, like the state of his mind, this composition epitomizes Powell’s talent and what he dealt with inwardly during the majority of his adult life.
Despite some differences between these two pieces, Powell’s “Tempus Fugue-It” and “ Un Poco Loco” are very alike, especially in their polyphonic texture and quick-paced tempo. Artists of all kinds have their signature—a move, style, technique. From what I have heard of his works, Powell’s “style” was basically flourishes. He would play the chords repetitively and then flourish up and down the keyboard. The harmony differs between compositions, yet the style and technique remains the same. At the very beginning of “Un Poco Loco”, the very first few chords sound almost identical to the opening of “Tempus Fugue-it”; so much so that I thought it was indeed the same piece when I listened. Flourishes, banging on chords, the bit of titter-tatter of the drums. If Powell had lived a longer and less mentally-disturbed life, he probably would have had taken time to change up his style and experiment more.
Powell’s “Tempus Fugue-It” has an intriguing double meaning with both classical and psychiatric definitions, and with its intricate flourishes, harmonic variety, and polyphonic texture it is similar to Powell’s other curiously titled composition “Un Poco Loco”. Bud Powell will be remembered as a wonderful musician who bested his mental difficulties to bring new, unbridled tunes into the world of jazz.